Flora and Fauna of Tasmania

Microlaena stipoides or Ehrharta stipoides is a species of grass that occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has also been introduced into Hawaii and Reunion Island and has been reported as invasive in both. Common names used include weeping grass, weeping rice grass and weeping meadow grass. less ↑

Pultenaea juniperina, or prickly bush-pea, is a plant of the family Fabaceae native to Eastern Australia. It is a shrub to 3 metres sporting showy yellow-orange flowers with red markings. The leaves are 10 – 25 mm long and 1 – 4 mm wide with a pungent leaf apex (stiff pointy tip), hence the use of "Prickly" in the common name. It is widespread and common in heaths, sclerophyll forests and woodlands in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. less ↑

The Great Egret (Ardea alba) also known as Common Egret, Large Egret or Great White Heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized. In North America it is more widely distributed, and it is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the Neotropics. The Old World population is often referred to as the... less ↑

The Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes near the Andes in Argentina. They are passage migrants through Central America around March/April and again during September/October. The species is a rare vagrant to western Europe. less ↑

The Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull (C. hartlaubii) and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull (C. scopulinus) were formerly sometimes considered to be subspecies of the Silver Gull. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus... less ↑

The Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), also called Crested Tern or Swift Tern, is a seabird in the tern family which nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old World. Its five subspecies breed in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia, all populations dispersing widely from the breeding range after nesting. This large tern is closely related to the Royal and... less ↑

The Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon which is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced into many parts of the world and feral populations have become established. This species was formerly included in the genus Streptopelia with other turtle-doves, but studies suggest that they differ from typical members of that genus. This dove is long tailed... less ↑

The Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) is a small insectivorous bird. A common fantail found in Australia (except western desert areas), New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The species is considered by many to conspecific with (the same as) the New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa), however due to differences in its calls some authorities now treat it as a separate species. less ↑

Stylidium graminifolium, the grass triggerplant, is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae). This species used to belong to the Stylidium graminifolium complex, but the name was conserved for this single species when two others were split from the complex and introduced as new species in 2001.S. graminifolium is endemic to Australia and is one of the Stylidium species with the widest distribution throughout Australia. It is a perennial plant with grass-like... less ↑

Prostanthera lasianthos is a large shrub or small tree which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. The species is also known as Victorian Christmas Bush, or local aboriginal names including coranderrk (Woi wurrung) and geringdah (Daung wurrung). It grows up to 10 m high but is usually much less and is found in wet sclerophyll forests, often beside creeks. Its flowers, which appear in profuse sprays, are about 2 cm long... less ↑

Eucalyptus amygdalina, or black peppermint, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It was first described by Labillardiere in 1806. Though endemic to Tasmania, it is one of the most common Eucalypts in the state where it is often a tree in sclerophyll forest or a shrub in open scrub and heath. It is known to integrate with E. nitida and E. pulchella. less ↑

Exocarpos cupressiformis Labill, commonly known as the native cherry or cherry ballart, belongs to the sandalwood family of plants . It is a species endemic to Australia. Occasionally the generic name is spelt "Exocarpus" (see internet references below). This form of the generic name was probably the original spelling (Museum of Victoria, 1885 ), but it appears to be mostly no longer in use (see Talk). less ↑

Eucryphia lucida, commonly known as Leatherwood is a species of trees or large shrubs endemic to forests of western Tasmania. An attractive plant utilised in both the horticulture and apiculture industries, it was promoted by the Tasmanian Branch of the then SGAP as an alternative to the Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) for Tasmania's floral emblem. It was described as E. billiarderi at one stage, this now being a synonym. less ↑

Nothofagus gunnii, the tanglefoot beech or deciduous beech, is a deciduous shrub native to Tasmania, Australia, where it is the only winter-deciduous plant. It grows in alpine and sub-alpine regions. Though capable of reaching a small tree, it rarely exceeds 2 m in height, instead growing as a thick shrub or as a woody ground cover hence the common name "Tanglefoot". less ↑

Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names mountain ash, Victorian ash, swamp gum, Tasmanian oak or stringy gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria. Historically, it has been known to attain heights over 114 metres (374 ft) making it one of the tallest tree species in the world and the tallest flowering plant. less ↑

Correa alba, commonly known as White Correa, is a shrub which is endemic to Australia. It grows to 1.5 metres in height, has reddish-brown hairy new growth. The leaves are near circular to ovate and have a round or cuneate base and a rounded tip. They are 1.5 to 3.5 cm long 1 to 2.7 cm wide with a hairless or (nearly hairless) upper surface and tomentose lower surface. The white or occasionally light pink four-petalled... less ↑

Vanessa kershawi, commonly known as the Australian Painted Lady, is a butterfly that is mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand. There is debate surrounding the taxonomy of this species. Some believe that the Australian Painted Lady should be a subspecies to the Painted Lady due to the similarity in lifestyle and behavior. Furthermore, the Painted Lady is found around the globe but Australia is... less ↑

The Common Xenica or Klug's Xenica (Geitoneura klugii) is a species of butterfly belonging to the Nymphalidae family of the Lepidoptera order. It is a southern Australian butterfly that is easily camouflaged because of its resemblance to the ground where it is usually found fluttering. It can be identified based on certain characteristics. It has a wingspan of about 38 millimetres (1.5 in). The upper and lower side of the forewing is black with browinish black markings... less ↑

Eucalyptus dalrympleana is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to southeastern Australia. It is a fast-growing evergreen tree growing to 50 m (164 ft) in favourable conditions, but much smaller in poor soils. Common names include broad-leaved kindling bark, broad-leaved ribbon gum, mountain gum, mountain white gum, seven-flowered mountain gum. The bark is smooth, darkening to salmon pink or light brown before flaking off to reveal new pure white bark. The flowers are white,... less ↑

Comesperma ericinum, commonly known as Heath Milkwort, pink matchheads or Pyramid Flower, is a slender shrub of the family Polygalaceae. It grows to between 1 and 1.5 metres high and branches out vertically. The leaves are 5 to 25 mm long and 1 to 4 mm wide. Purple, lilac-pink or white "winged" flowers are produced in clusters at the end of the stems from October to January. less ↑

Harmonia conformis (the large spotted ladybird) is a species of ladybird (the family Coccinellidae). It has a light reddish appearance and its colouration includes 20 large black spots, 18 of which are found on the elytra (wing covers). They are quite large for ladybirds, being about 6-7 mm long. It is a predator of other insects, eating aphids as both a larva and imago (adult). It is found in Australia, and has been introduced to New... less ↑